Fresh land sink of 100 ft, realignment of sinking zones mooted
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 30 2010: After about 80 feet of Imphal-Dimapur highway sunk near Khongnem village in Senapati district yesterday, another 100 feet adjacent to the spot has sunk by around two feet today.

Talking to The Sangai Express an official from the PWD said that the area is a sinking zone and added that re-alignment of this stretch has also been mooted.

On the other hand a team of media persons went to the sunken spot today under an arrangement with the Maram Students' Union.

Before reaching the sun-ken spot, the team came across another spot where the highway has sunk by two feet.

Light vehicles were seen moving across the newly sunken spot.

Repair work at the sunken stretch on NH-39 and inset the new land sink by about 2/3 ft

A large crack has also been developed on the highway beneath the 22 Assam Rifles camp.

In the present condition, it would be impossible for large and heavy vehicles to cross the sunken portions, said MLA K Raina who has been stationing himself and supervising the situation at the spot since yesterday.

To bridge the 80 feet long sunken portion, road cutting work was going on using two JCBs.

It is expected that the highway can be connected by late tonight or tomorrow.

With heavy passenger vehicles unable to cross the sunken portion, passengers were seen crossing the stretch on foot.

On either side of the sunken portion, there were taxi services ferrying the passengers.

On the other hand, a large crack has developed right through the middle of houses in a village just to the East of Maram Bazar.

Already 6/7 houses were damaged due to landslide at the village recently.

The villagers are apprehensive that their houses would be swept away by landslide if the incessant rain continues.

Informing that vehicular movement has been halted following the sinking of about 80 feet of the highway near Maram, the Maram Students' Union has appealed to the authority concerned to repair the highway with foresight rather than adopt adhocism.

A press release issued by the student body said that local MLA K Raina and 22 AR have been helping in a big way in the existing situation.

It said that the union has also been providing assistance to the stranded passengers and transporters.

The student body rued that the present situation could have been avoided had the amount of Rs 36 crores sanctioned for developing Maram-Taphou section of NH-39 was utilised in time.

Notably, just before NH 39 was cut off, oil-tankers started ferrying fuel to Imphal from Khatkhati with CRPF escorts under the initiative of the Union Home Ministry.

The sinking portions of NH-39 at two points literally means that Manipur will remain cut off from the rest of the country for a couple of days, as NH-53, the only alternative lifeline is yet to be ready for heavy vehicles.

PWD Engineers are working against all odds to make the road motorable, but the movement of goods trucks, has meant further deterioration of the highway.